Industrial washing machine



March 15, 1966 H. M. SADWITH 3,240,216

INDUSTRIAL WASHING MACHINE Filed April 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Haw/W0 H 540mm ,4 WIDE V576 March 15, 1966 H. M. SADWITH INDUSTRIAL WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 30, 1963 March 15, 1966 H. M. SADWITH INDUSTRIAL WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 50, 1963 R m m v W IL/OOJARD l4 Snow/7w United States Patent Ofilice 3,240,216 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 3,240,216 INDUSTRIAL WASHING MACHIYE Howard M. Sadwith,, Plainfield, NJ., assignor to Industrial Washing Machine Corporation, Matawan, N1, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 276,924 1 Claim. (Cl. 13480) This invention relates to machines for washing hollow articles and more particularly relates to machines for washing containers for ink and the like.

Washing machines for cleaning containers and utensils are well known in the art, but they have been found unsuitable for the drums used to contain printers ink and the like which are diflicult to clean. The present invention provides a means of washing such containers by introducing washing fluid upon the interior walls of containers from nozzles positioned within the container itself and preferably while the container is being rotated.

It is an object of this invention to introduce wash fluids upon the interior walls of a hollow container from a source located proximate to said walls and within rather than below or outside said container.

It is a further object of this invention to shoot jets of wash fluids, rather than a diffused spray, upon the interior walls of a container while rotating the container so that all portions of the interior surface will be uniformly exposed to the jets.

It is a further object of this invention to direct jets of wash fluid normal to the interior surfaces of a container.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a washing machine capable of washing diflicult-to-clean containers, such as drums used for printers ink and the like, in an expeditious and effective manner.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a loading and unloading station, a first washing station, a second washing station, and a washing and rinsing station arranged equi-distantly about the periphery of a large rotatably mounted spider assembly. The spider assembly is provided with four arms and has a source of rotational drive and a control system to index the arms of the spider in 90 movements from station to station. Four turntables are provided to hold containers in inverted position, the turntables being rotatably mounted to the extremities of the spider and having a source of rotational drive independent of the spider drive. Suitable mechanical and electrical control elements are known to those skilled in the art and are shown generally in US. patent application Ser. No. 122,472 filed July 7, 1961 now Patent No. 3,115,144.

The turntable mountings are each provided with a centrally disposed vertical hole or shaft. The indexing drive shaft of the spider assembly is likewise provided with a centrally disposed vertical hole or shaft. Vertical lances are provided disposed in the first washing station, second washing station, and washing and rinsing station. The three lances are each provided with a plurality of nozzles and an internal conduit from the base of each lance to the nozzles. The lance-s are joined by piping from the bases to a central T-joint which is in turn joined to a vertical rod riding in the indexing drive shaft. An air cylinder and chain are connected to the upper extremity of the vertical rod to raise and lower the lances.

In operation, a dirty container is placed upon the turntable then at the loading and unloading station. The indexing drive for the spider assembly is actuated to index the spider assembly 90 to bring this turntable and dirty container into position in the first washing station and each other turntable and previously loaded container at a station. The lances are then raised through the centrally disposed openings of the turntables to position the lance nozzles inside the containers to be cleaned. Washing fluid is supplied from a source of washing fluid through a flexible hose to the conduit and thereby through the lance and ejected from the nozzles to scrub the interior of the containers. During the washing operation the turntables are rotated to in Isure uniform exposure of the interior container surface to the jets of washing fluid ejected from the nozzles. At the conclusion of the washing cycle the lance is withdrawn to a point external to the container and clear of the turntable and its mounting. The spider is then indexed by to bring a new dirty container to the first washing station and convey the partially cleaned container from the first washing station to the second washing station. When the partially cleaned container is in position in the second washing station the lances are again lifted by means of the vertical rod, chain and air cylinder so that the lance in the second washing station passes through the opening in the turntable. Again washing fluid is supplied through the nozzles of the lance in the second washing station to further Wash the interior of the container while the container is rotated. At the conclusion of the washing cycle the lances are withdrawn and the spider is again indexed 90 to bring the container to the Washing and rinsing station. The lances are again raised and for part of a complete washing cycle washing fluid is ejected through the nozzles of the lance in the washing and rinsing station against the interior of the rotating container. After an interval, washing fluid is cut oil and rinsing fluid is supplied to the interior of the container by means of nozzles positioned below and external to the container. Due to the high temperatures of the washing and rinsing fluids forced drying is generally unnecessary and the spider assembly is indexed 90 to bring the clean container to the loading and unloading station.

Further objects and a fuller understanding of this invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front sectional elevation of one embodiment of a washing machine constructed according to this invention taken along line 11 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the washing machine of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional elevation of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line S--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of FIG. 4.

The washing machine has a housing 10 Within which are spider assembly 11 and lance assembly 12.

The housing 10 is divided into loading and unloading station 13a, first washing station 13b, second Washing station and washing and rinsing station 13d.

The spider assembly 11 is provided with central cylinder 14, outwardly extending arms 15, 16, 17 and 18, supporting members 19 and baflles 20, 21, 22 and 23. Mounted on the extremities of spider arms 15, 16, 17 and 18 are turntables 24, 25, 26 and 27, respectively. When spider assembly 11 is appropriately positioned so that each turntable is in a station, as, for example, turn- 3 table 24 in washing station 1312, the baflles 20, 21, 22 and 23 form a wiping seal with the walls of housing 10.

The turntables 24, 25, 26 and 27 are mounted to the arms 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the spider assembly, respectively, by means of hollow shaft members 28, 29, 30 and 31 journalled in the spider extremities. On the lower portion of these hollow shafts 23, 29, 30 and 31 are mounted turntable sprockets 32.

Lance assembly 12 comprises a vertical rod member 33 mounted to T-joint 34 by means of flanges 35 bolted to flange and T-support member 36. T-joint 34 is connected to lance arms 37, 38 and 39, which in turn are connected to lances 40, 41 and 42, respectively. Washing fluid intake joint 43 is connected to lance arm 37 and through T-joint 34 to lance arm 38. Fluid intake joint 44 is connected to lance arm 39 and is blocked from lance arms 37 and 38 by sealing wall 45 in T-joint 34. Vertical lances 4t), 41 and 42 ride in and are guided by bearings 46. Vertical rod member 33 rides in and is guided by bearing 47. Bearings 46 and 47 are attached to a shaped drain pan 48 supported by housing 10.

Vertical lances 40, 41 and 42 are each provided with a plurality of nozzles 49 and an internal fluid conduit 50.

Vertical rod member 33 rides in hollow indexing drive shaft 52 and is connected at its upper extremity to chain 51. Chain 51 rides on free sprockets 53 and 54 and is connected to air cylinder rod member 55. Air cylinder rod member 55 is connected to a piston (not shown) in air cylinder 56. Air cylinder rod member 55 is provided with a flange 57 which serves to actuate limit switches 58 and 59 which control its upward and downward motion, respectively.

By means of air cylinder 56, the lance assembly 12 may be raised and lowered. In FIGS. 1 and 4, lance assembly 12 is shown in the raised position with the broken lines in FIG. 1 indicating its lowered position.

Hollow indexing drive shaft 52 is keyed to spider assembly 11 and is connected to indexing drive sprocket 59. Indexing drive sprocket 59 is connected to indexing drive motor and brake assembly 60 by means of an endless chain and gear reduction box. Turntable sprockets 32 are connected to turntable drive motor 61 by means of an endless chain and gear reduction box which, if desired, may be drawn out of engagement with the sprocket 32 of the turntables at the loading and unloading station 13a by an idler sprocket.

The operation of the machine is generally as follows: a dirty ink drum 62 is placed upon the turntable then at the loading and unloading station 13a. Indexing drive motor 60 is then actuated to index spider assembly 11 by 90 to bring the turntable containing the dirty drum 62 into position in the first washing station 13b. After the turntable carrying the dirty container is in position in first washing station 13b air is introduced into air cylinder 56 to elevate lance assembly 12 by means of chain 51 to a position where lances 40, 41 and 42 have passed through the hollow turntable shafts of the turntables then in stations 13b, 13c and 13d. Washing fluid is supplied under pressure through a flexible coupling to fluid intake joint 43, passes through lance arm 37 and conduit 50 and is ejected in jets from the nozzles 49 of lance 40 normally against the interior of the container. Simultaneously the turntable bearing the container is rotated by means of turntable motor 61 to provide even exposure of the interior surface of container to the washing and scrubbing jets. At the conclusion of a washing cycle, lance assembly 12 is lowered by air cylinder 56. When lance assembly 12 has been lowered to its lowermost position, as indicated by the tripping of limit switch 58, the lance heads have been withdrawn from the turntables so that the spider assembly 11 is free to rotate. Indexing drive motor 60 is again actuated to rotate spider assembly 11 by 90, thereby bringing the partially washed container into position in second washing station 13c. When spider as sembly 11 is correctly positioned, air is again introduced into air cylinder 56 to elevate lance assembly 12. Upward movement of lance assembly 12 is terminated by means of flange 57 tripping limit switch S9 and connecting control means well known in the art. Washing fluid is supplied under pressure through a flexible coupling to fluid intake joint 43, lance arm 38, conduit 50 and ejected from the nozzles 49 of lance 41 against the interior of the container as the container and turntable are being rotated. At the conclusion of a washing cycle lance assembly 12 is again withdrawn as above, and spider assembly 11 is indexed another to bring the container and its turntable into position in washing and rinsing station 13d.

Lance assembly 12 is again raised so that lance 42 enters the interior of the container. Washing fluid is supplied from a source under pressure through a flexible coupling to fluid intake joint 44, through lance arm 39, conduit 50 and nozzles 49 of lance 42. Again the turntable and container are rotated to insure even exposure of the interior container surface to the washing fluid. At the conclusion of a portion of the washing cycle the supply of washing fluid to lance 42 through coupling 44 is terminated and rinsing fluid is supplied from a source of rinsing fluid under pressure through pipes and nozzles (not shown) located below and external to the container. At the conclusion of the full washing cycle the rinsing process at washing and rinsing station 13d is terminated, lance assembly 12 lowered and spider assembly 11 indexed a further 90 to bring the now clean container to loading and unloading station 13a. The clean container may now be removed and replaced by a dirty container and the process repeated. Three containers may be undergoing the washing process simultaneously while a fourth container is being loaded or unloaded at station 13a. It should be noted that fluid intake joint 43 supplies fluid simultaneously to lance arms 37 and 38 while fluid intake joint 44 supplies only lance arm 39 and lance 42 and that only for a portion of a washing cycle.

An important advantage of this invention is that it may be incorporated in machines known to the art with a minimum of expense and complication. One such machine is shown in US. patent application, Ser. No. 122,472 filed July 7, 1961, by Howard M. Sadwith.

The invention has been described in an embodiment particularly useful for the cleaning of printers ink containers. In view of the broad teaching of the disclosure, it will be apparent to men skilled in the art that certain modifications can be made without departing from the inventive concept. For example, additional wash stations can be incorporated or rinse or drying stations substituted.

What is claimed is:

A washing machine for washing ink drum containers and the like comprising a housing which defines a plurality of washing stations and a loading and unloading station, a generally centrally located spider, said spider having a generlly centrally positioned shaft supported by said housing and having a plurality of arms at its lower portion, rotatable platforms for supporting ink drum containers and the like each having a shaft journaled at the outer extremities of said spider arms, means for rotating said platforms comprising a sprocket attached to said shaft of each platform, said sprockets being engaged by a moving chain at each of the wash stations, a shaped drain board underlying each of the wash stations, said drain board having a bearing at each wash station and said bearings being positioned under the platform shafts when said platforms are located at the washing stations, a lance assembly having a lance memher at each washing station, said lances being adapted to reciprocate through said bearings, a plurality of noz zles supported in spaced interrelationship on said lances constructed to direct narrow jets of washing fluid directly against both the side and end portions of the drum-like container, means for raising said lance substantially completely into said containers when the platforms supporting them are located at the washing stations so that wash fluid may be directed in a plurality of scouring jets substantially normal to the side and end portions of said containers and for retracting said lances so that said platforms and containers may be moved to subsequent washing stations, said means for raising and lowering said lances comprising a pneumatic cylinder mechanically interconnected to said lances along the spider axis, means for rotating said spider to sequentially position each of said platforms from the loading-unloading station, through the washing stations, and back to said loading-unloading station, means for supplying washing fluid under pressure through said lances while they are elevated in said containers so that any container may be received at a loading-unloading station and sequentially moved through a plurality of washing stations at each of which it is subjected to the scouring of washing fluid jets while being rotated and then returned to said loading-unloading station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 932,193 8/1909 Utard et al. 134-142 1,507,151 9/1924 Bennett et al. 134144 1,598,175 8/ 1926 Taylor 134167 2,563,130 8/ 1951 Mylchreest 134167 X 2,730,068 1/1956 Reynolds et al 134-81 X 2,951,490 9/1960 Cuillier 134152 X 2,967,531 1/1961 Nussbaum 134168 X 3,104,407 9/1963 Volk 134-168 X 3,115,144 12/1963 Sadwith 13481 X FOREIGN PATENTS 959,876 4/ 1950 France.

724,084 2/ 1955 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

